Chicken Coops for Sale in Burnt Prairie, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Burnt Prairie, Illinois
Make a Thrifty DIY Swingset Chicken Coop
Do you have one of those old A-shaped swingsets rusting in your backyard? If you do, then you have the basis for an awesome swingset chicken coop! (And if you don’t, watch Craigslist – there are frequently people offering them for free to whoever comes to pick them up.) Creativity is key .
When we moved recently we had to leave our wonderful chicken coop behind, since it was attached to the barn. While I drooled over some of , I’m on a pretty tight budget so it was important to use items that I could acquire either cheap or free. Luckily, the house we moved to had some pretty interesting stuff in a shed and an old rusty swingset in the woods.
I don’t have a lot of construction skills but the guy who put up my fence does, and luckily, he was on board with my wacky, freebie-scrounging ideas.
For the price of some labor, some hardware, some chicken wire, and a fancy-dancy hanging chicken waterer, I got a snazzy new coop that keeps my chickens safe and sound.
Here’s what we used:
- A swingset with the swings removed
- 2 pieces of corrugated metal on the top 3/4 plus a strip of it over the top to help weather proof
- Some sheets of plywood for the bottom back of the coop
- A piece of chain link fencing for the bottom in order to keep out predators
- Some old pieces of fence posts for the bottom of the coop to attach the chicken wire and chain link to
- Some lumber for the door
- Chicken wire (It was cheaper than from my local store)
If you’re making a scrounged chicken coop, be creative and see what you components you can find for cheap or free. Because most of the items used were found, this isn’t as much a how-to as it is something to inspire you. Here are some photos so you can see how my coop was assembled.
The Scoop on my Swingset Chicken Coop
The door is very heavy, which adds a layer of security against critters that might try to get in during the night. During the day, I use a bungee to hold the door open in the event of wind so no chickens get squashed. (They’re at the door because they know they’re either getting food or getting out.)
There is also a heavy duty double hinged latch that I fasten with a carabiner at night for an added layer of security. (.)
The bottom is covered with a piece of chain link fencing that is attached to the boards that form the bottom edge of the coop.
My biggest splurge is this hanging 5 gallon water dispenser. It stays much cleaner raised a few inches off the ground, only needs to be refilled every few days, and I used the exisiting hook for a swing to hang it from. (You can – it is a lower price than it was at my local feed store.)
Here’s the interior of theswingset chicken coop. The chickens like to roost on the cross bars on each end, and there is an extra bar from an old closet that was also installed. I used some cubbies from my previous garage for nesting boxes. (I probably should have taken the interior pic before I put the chickens in here to poop on everything. Of course, anyone who has chickens knows that a coop only looks clean for about 10 minutes.)
The coop in all of its glory. I’ll be painting the plywood soon to make it a little prettier.
Thor, our LGD, is happy to follow the chickens around and protect them because he realized they’re like little feathered Pez dispensers, dropping nice little egg treats around the yard for him to enjoy. I lock them in the coop a couple of days per week and that gives us more than enough eggs for our needs. The rest of the eggs get scattered around the yard for a doggie version of an Easter egg hunt. Thor’s a little skinny so the added fat will do him good. You can see him licking his dog lips in the photo below.
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Chicken Coop Used in Burnt Prairie, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Burnt Prairie Illinois" into any one of the numerous search engines and a wealth of information will pop up. This information will provide links to other websites that will be informative and will provide the right direction for finding Burnt Prairie Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Burnt Prairie, Illinois With the massive rise in poultry keeping there has actually been an equally huge surge in the range of fowl stuff on sale. Fowl real estate is an instance in factor. It's additionally a classic example of the great old bandwagon being got on as various potential poultry real estate specialists market a range of cottage claiming to be the suitable remedy to your chicken housing requirements. Often the cost looks desirable, your house looks desirable, heck also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Certainly they recognize a professional chicken house when they see one? There are several inexpensive and also horrible cages flooding the market. I recognize this as I've examined a variety of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed pail appeared. The result was only a pricey stack of fire wood as well as a small flock of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Tips in Burnt Prairie, Illinois
Generally these standardized models are constructed of fast grown hardwood - come the first decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking inhabitants. The initial warm day implies the lumber dries and cracks, the felt roof bubbles and boils, as well as come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decline of their as soon as appealing residential property but since the hovel is currently a haven for, and also possibly abounding, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would certainly suit four huge chickens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you left with? A few hinges and also some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a huge space and the pop hole door allows enough for the breed you keep, then the main requirements of housing boil down to three factors which will certainly specify the variety of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch should be above the nest box entry as chickens will certainly likewise naturally seek the highest point to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they produce one of the most poo) leading to soiled eggs the list below day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries can take place when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is certainly less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they need to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your home needs to have a least one nest box for every single three birds and also these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of your house. Your home must have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will develop every night, even in the coldest of weather. Understand, air flow works with the principle of warm air leaving with a high space drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite wall surfaces of your home as well as at the same degree, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, yet you should additionally take into consideration the run size. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a cost-free range bird is (and allow's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens at home is possibly enhanced or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close take a look at some of the deal residences - it could well be your house has the best perches, appropriate ventilation and enough nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you obtain just what you pay for". You could assume you've got a bargain, however you and your flock can rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer offered the appropriate therapy. Ultimately your poultry as well as your poultry keeping encounter will be considerably the far better for it.for sale chick
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